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Brent Sopel
| birth_place = Calgary, Alberta, Canada | draft = 144th overall | draft_year = 1995 | draft_team = Vancouver Canucks | career_start = 1997 }} Brent Sopel (born Brent Bernard Sopel on January 7, 1977) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks (whom he won the Stanley Cup with in 2010), Atlanta Thrashers and the Montreal Canadiens. Playing Career Brent was drafted 144th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. On April 3, 1996 (just under a year after being drafted), he signed his first professional contract with Vancouver. On April 10, 1999, he scored his first NHL goal against Tommy Salo of the Edmonton Oilers. On August 3, 2005, Brent was traded to the New York Islanders for the Islanders' second round choice (which was later traded to Anaheim who selected Bryce Swan) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. On March 8, 2006, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings with Mark Parrish for Denis Grebeshkov and Jeff Tambellini. On February 26, 2007, Brent was traded by the Los Angeles Kings to the Vancouver Canucks for the Canucks' second round selection (Wayne Simmonds which was originally acquired from Anaheim) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and the Canucks' fourth round selection (Justin Jokinen who was later acquired by Buffalo) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He missed the first game of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars after he injured his back while picking up a cracker that was dropped by former teammate Andrew Greven. The Canucks ended up beating the Stars in quadruple overtime, in the sixth longest game in NHL history. Heading into the 2007-08 season without a contract, Brent was invited to the Detroit Red Wings' training camp, but he left the Red Wings camp on September 28, 2007 and signed a one-year, $1.5-million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks after the Red Wings offered him a one-year, $500,000 contract. On January 10, 2008, he signed a 3-year, $7-million contract extension with the Blackhawks, keeping him in Chicago through to the 2010-11 NHL season. On June 9, 2010, Brent won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. In June of 2010, he brought the team's recently won Stanley Cup to the 2010 Chicago Gay Pride Parade. Brent brought the Cup to the parade in honor of the late Brendan Burke (the son of his former boss in Vancouver, Brian Burke) to display it in the Chicago Gay Pride Parade, stating to the press that honoring Burke's legacy and his father's example of familial support and tolerance was one of his reasons for marching in the parade. Although he was the team's representative (contrary to popular belief), he didn't use his personal day with it in the parade. On June 24, 2010, Brent was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers with Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager and Akim Aliu for Marty Reasoner, Joey Crabb, Jeremy Morin and New Jersey's first (which Chicago previously acquired & selected Kevin Hayes) and second (which Chicago previously acquired & selected Justin Holl) round choices in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. On February 24, 2011, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens with Nigel Dawes for Ben Maxwell and Montreal's fourth round choice (which was later traded back to Montreal & they selected Olivier Archambault) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. On July 29, 2011, Brent was signed as a free agent by Novokuznetsk in the KHL. On January 31, 2013, he was signed as a free agent by Ufa in the KHL. Awards & Achievements *2002: NHL Player of the Week (January 21st–27th) *2010: Stanley Cup Champion (with Chicago Blackhawks) Personal Life Brent grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in the city's Silverwood Heights neighborhood where he attended Sister O'Brien School and Marion M. Graham Collegiate. He has dyslexia and dysgraphia. Brent and his ex-wife Kelly have four children: sons Paul & Jake and daughters Lyla & Jayla. Lyla has dyslexia and dysgraphia like her father. Paul was adopted in 2007 when he was 17 years old after his parents (who were the Sopels' family friends) passed away in a short period of time. His ex-wife & children live in Hinsdale. Category:1977 births Category:Vancouver Canucks draft picks Category:Vancouver Canucks players Category:New York Islanders players Category:Los Angeles Kings players Category:Chicago Blackhawks players Category:Atlanta Thrashers players Category:Montreal Canadiens players Category:Canadian ice hockey players